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Rick Barnes talks about process of Dalton Knecht adjusting to SEC play

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•02/14/24
Rick Barnes
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK) Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has a few words for Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) during a basketball game between Tennessee and South Carolina held at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

One of the surefire front-runners for the SEC Player of the Year award, Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht hasn’t scored fewer than 16 points in a game since Jan. 6.

He’s been on an absolute tear all season, one that seemingly kicked into high gear once the team entered SEC play.

But that’s not to say it’s all come easy for the North Colorado transfer, who is averaging 20.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Nope, Knecht has had some adjusting to do at this level.

“Oh there’s no doubt he’s learning the grind,” coach Rick Barnes said. “I mean the attention that you guys are giving him, he’s never had to deal with that. This is all new to him. I think he’s done a great job, really, and he’s a guy that, dealing with you guys is easy compared to what he’s dealt with me with.”

Dalton Knecht has now been named the SEC Player of the Week three times, including in back-to-back weeks in the month of January. He’s also scooped up a Naismith national Player of the Week award.

Even with all the attention and the accolades, he’s still producing. He scored 22 points in a recent loss to Texas A&M and 27 points in a win over LSU.

He’s been the focal point of the Tennessee offense, yet he’s made it work.

“He’s embraced it because he really wants to be a good player and he wants to be a good teammate, he wants to help his guys win,” Barnes said. “But all this is new to him and the fact that he’s doing it with a lot of eyes on him is really pretty impressive.”

Dalton Knecht’s game is pretty well-balanced, too, and he’s contributing in ways beyond just scoring. In each of the last two games he has pulled down seven rebounds. He’s also logged six assists, five blocks and two steals in those games.

Tennessee will be a postseason team, which means Knecht is going to be featured for a while longer. How far the Volunteers go might just be up to how well Knecht can continue to handle the spotlight.

Tennessee will return to action tonight against Arkansas, on the road, in a game that tips off at 9 p.m. ET with a broadcast on ESPN2.